Podcast Summary: Holmberg's Morning Sickness – “No Matter How Much Fun You Have w/Alien Asteroids, Some Wet Blanket Listener Will Stomp On It”

Date: October 29, 2025
Host & Crew: John Holmberg, Brady Bogen, Brett Vesely, Dick Toledo, Byron

Overview

In this lively episode, John Holmberg and his crew take listeners through a blend of playful speculation about alien visitation, cultural nostalgia from the ’70s and ’80s, local news oddities involving escaped, allegedly diseased monkeys, and a note on a local veterans’ charity event. With their signature irreverence and banter, the hosts muse over why some people just have to rain on imaginative fun, poke fun at current events, and encourage support for good causes—all while keeping the energy light, comedic, and occasionally absurd.

Main Discussion & Key Segments

1. Childlike Wonder vs. The Wet Blanket Listeners

(01:33–09:08)

• John Holmberg shares his frustration with listeners who shut down playful talk about alien invasions, referencing the current comet/asteroid “Three Eye Atlas” and people’s tendency to “stomp on a boy’s dreams.”
  • Quote [02:22] John: “Imagine, get all the visitors and we wouldn’t know. And we’d learn something from them. And it would be awesome.”
• Holmberg reminisces about growing up with space-centric pop culture—the likes of Close Encounters, Last Starfighter, The Jetsons, Mork and Mindy—lamenting that somewhere, adults lost the ability to just hope for the fantastic.
  • Quote [06:11] John: “We were promised this. That was a hit show in the ‘70s, hit, smash hit. Nobody thought to themselves, this is stupid. This wouldn’t happen. What happened to us?”
• He affectionately mocks the skeptics and self-appointed “Captain Corrector” types, playfully wishing for aliens to drop in for some “snacks” or breakthrough medicine (like a kidney cure).
• Comedy escalates with riffs on famous TV aliens (Mork, ALF, Lilu from The Fifth Element), imagining their arrival and poking fun at how such discussions generate a flurry of corrections from earnest (but fun-squelching) audience members.
  • Quote [07:13] John: “Shazbot. Kids, people were saying Shazbot. They invented a thing. Shazbot…That was what he said when he was happy and sad. It was like the ‘dude’ of Ork. Mork from Ork.”

2. Monkey Business: Truckload of Diseased Primates Escapes in Mississippi

(09:08–22:00)

• Transitioning from speculative aliens to bizarre realities, Holmberg covers a news story about a truck accident in Mississippi that released monkeys—initially reported as carrying STDs like hepatitis, herpes, and COVID—from a Tulane University shipment bound for a Florida testing lab.
  • Quote [13:06] John: “I don't even know what the difference between an ape and a monkey…I just know that a monkey with an STD running around shouldn't be hauling around in the back of a tractor trailer going from state to state.”
• The group mocks the convoluted logistics of moving diseased primates, wonders why these animal tests are necessary, and jests about the dangers of rogue monkeys more than the diseases themselves.
  • Quote [15:44] John: “Are you worried about the STDs at all? Or are you more worried about monkey strength? I'm not really worried about having sex with one.”
  • Quote [16:08] John: “Just being near a monkey, it can rape you. You're gonna lose the power battle. I'm more worried that my head's gonna get torn off than I am about the bumps.”
• They lampoon local news coverage, the absurd (and potentially dangerous) premise of STD-laden animals on the loose, and compare the situation to pop culture (Outbreak, “AIDS monkeys”) and American or global disease panic.
• Ultimately, they point out the news cycle’s neglect of basic questions (“Why are we even transporting these monkeys?”), and riff on how this reality is weirder (and dumber) than extraterrestrial hypotheticals.
  • Quote [21:04] John: “It was the dumbest story I’ve ever seen because not one reporter said, why were you doing this? Why did the truck driver think they were AIDS riddled monkeys?”

3. Listener Emails & Community Events

(23:57–28:59)

• Holmberg reads listener emails responding to the show, including appreciation for bits like the “three-minute smoker” gag and requests for more running jokes (like “orgasmic Brady” in the upcoming Friday squares).
• Spotlight on a listener-promoted charity event: The Pat Tillman ASU Veterans Center and the Dode Morris VFW Post 1760 charity event for veteran grad student scholarships (Saturday, 12–8 pm, Mesa). Holmberg praises the cause and commits to promoting it, emphasizing the importance of supporting veterans.
  • Quote [25:10] John: “Vets should get more help than almost anybody else, I think. And the Pat Tillman Veterans Center does awesome work."
• The usual banter continues—joking about Mesa being “riddled with little STDs,” and fielding emails about why the “Happy National ___ Day” segment has been spotty.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• [02:22] John Holmberg: “Imagine, get all the visitors and we wouldn’t know. And we’d learn something from them. And it would be awesome.”
• [06:11] John Holmberg: “What happened to us? Nobody was emailing back in the days of like, hey, did you see Mork and Mindy last night? You get a note from a guy in your school? You know it could never happen. Why do we do this to each other?”
• [13:06] John Holmberg: “I just know that a monkey with an STD running around shouldn’t be hauling around in the back of a tractor trailer going from state to state.”
• [16:08] John Holmberg: “Just being near a monkey, it can rape you. You're gonna lose the power battle. I'm more worried that my head's gonna get torn off than I am about the bumps.”
• [21:04] John Holmberg: “It was the dumbest story I’ve ever seen because not one reporter said, why were you doing this? Why did the truck driver think they were AIDS riddled monkeys?”
• [25:10] John Holmberg: “Vets should get more help than almost anybody else, I think. And the Pat Tillman Veterans Center does awesome work.”

Important Timestamps

• 01:33–09:08 – Open discussion about aliens, pop culture nostalgia, and playful dreaming vs. instant skepticism
• 09:08–22:00 – Deep dive into the “STD monkey truck crash” story and all its goofy, troubling implications
• 23:57–28:59 – Listener feedback, event shout-outs (Tillman Veteran charity), and community chat

Tone & Style

• The show is conversational, irreverently funny, and peppered with cultural references, sharp asides, and gentle mockery—both self-directed and toward the news cycle/critics. Holmberg’s style blends childlike wonder with pointed sarcasm, backed by a fast-talking, bantering crew.

In Summary

This episode is a signature blend of silly, sharply satirical morning radio:

• Imagining alien intervention with nostalgia and humor
• Skewering killjoys and overcorrectors
• Turning absurd local news into comedic gold
• Spotlighting meaningful Arizona community events

If you want to laugh about why adults take themselves too seriously, marvel at the insanity of American news, and support a good cause, this episode delivers.

Charity Event Mentioned:
Pat Tillman ASU Veterans Center & Dode Morris VFW Post 1760
Veteran Graduate Student Scholarship Fundraiser
Saturday, 12pm–8pm | 65 S. McDonald, Mesa, AZ